John Quincy AdamsQuotations

To furnish the means of acquiring knowledge is . . . the greatest benefit that
can be conferred upon mankind. It prolongs life itself and enlarges the sphere of existence.

Old minds are like old horses; you must exercise them if you wish to keep them
in working order.

Individual liberty is individual power, and as the power of a community is a
mass compounded of individual powers, the nation which enjoys the most freedom must
necessarily be in proportion to its numbers the most powerful nation.

Always vote for principle, though you may vote alone, and you may cherish the sweetest
reflection that your vote is never lost.

Courage and perseverance have a magical talisman, before which difficulties disappear
and obstacles vanish into air.

I inhabit a weak, frail, decayed tenement battered by the winds and broken in on
by the storms, and, from all I can learn, the landlord does not intend to repair.

My toast would be, may our country be always successful, but whether successful
or otherwise, always right.

About one-half of the members of Congress are seekers for office at the nomination of the
President. Of the remainder, at least one-half have some appointment or favor to ask
for their relatives.

A stranger would think that the people of the United States had no other
occupation than electioneering.

Our Constitution professedly rests upon the good sense and attachment of
the people. This basis, weak as it may appear, has not yet been found to fail.